Hello, so i have had my chocolate lab since the beginning of may. He was seven weeks old when i picked him up. Now he is 7 month old weighing at 75 lbs. is that the normal size for a 7 month old lab or is he slightly on the big puppy side? Just wondering because i need to know if im suppose to up his portion of food. Thanks

I can't answer the question directly. Too much variation in size for the breed. I can tell you how to find out if the dog is near its proper weight...and I suspect, at 7 months of age and 75#, it may not be near its healthy weight. I suspect it may be overweight.

What I suggest is that you put the dog between your leg and look down at the rib area. Reach down and run your hand over the ribcage area. If you cannot feel ribs with a light touch, the dog is too fat and needs to have its food intake cut back.

On a young, active dog, you should be able to see the rise and fall of the ribs and if you look down from above, should be able to discern an hourglass shape where the ribs end and the flank begins. In all working breeds that I know of, there should be this "tuck in" at the end of the ribcage.

It is easy to see on a breed like a pointer and less so on the breeds with more hair, but even with the dense Lab coat, you should be able to "just" see the rise and fall of the rib bones and absolutely should be able to feel that rise and fall as you lightly run your fingers over the dog's side.

Too much weight on a young dog will often cause joint and other problems later on in the dog's life.

Kovan wrote:Hello, so i have had my chocolate lab since the beginning of may. He was seven weeks old when i picked him up. Now he is 7 month old weighing at 75 lbs. is that the normal size for a 7 month old lab or is he slightly on the big puppy side? Just wondering because i need to know if im suppose to up his portion of food. Thanks

I will not even get into the average size but I do want to very strongly make the point that feed adjustment should not be a determining factor. Amount of feed should always be based on the dogs condition and not size. As already said, make every effort to keep the pup on the thinner side rather than heavier and looking pretty as way too many people seem to think heavier looks nicer in dogs and just the opposite in people. Interesting how we get these mindsets but we do. Keep the belly tucked a little , a rib or two barely visible, and well muscled. By the way, I mean the pup and not your SO.

birddogger2 wrote:I can't answer the question directly. Too much variation in size for the breed. I can tell you how to find out if the dog is near its proper weight...and I suspect, at 7 months of age and 75#, it may not be near its healthy weight. I suspect it may be overweight.

What I suggest is that you put the dog between your leg and look down at the rib area. Reach down and run your hand over the ribcage area. If you cannot feel ribs with a light touch, the dog is too fat and needs to have its food intake cut back.

On a young, active dog, you should be able to see the rise and fall of the ribs and if you look down from above, should be able to discern an hourglass shape where the ribs end and the flank begins. In all working breeds that I know of, there should be this "tuck in" at the end of the ribcage.

It is easy to see on a breed like a pointer and less so on the breeds with more hair, but even with the dense Lab coat, you should be able to "just" see the rise and fall of the rib bones and absolutely should be able to feel that rise and fall as you lightly run your fingers over the dog's side.

Too much weight on a young dog will often cause joint and other problems later on in the dog's life.

Hope this helps.

RayG

Thank you for your advice it helped a lot! By doing what you have explained, he is a bit on the heavy side, i can feel his rib cage but not a whole lot. I will surely watch his food intake. One thing that also concern me is that he keeps chewing and eating everything that he can get in his mouth. I have tried all types of way to stop him from eating everything but hasnt really worked, i hope that this is just a phase that will pass as he gets older

Kovan wrote:Hello, so i have had my chocolate lab since the beginning of may. He was seven weeks old when i picked him up. Now he is 7 month old weighing at 75 lbs. is that the normal size for a 7 month old lab or is he slightly on the big puppy side? Just wondering because i need to know if im suppose to up his portion of food. Thanks

I will not even get into the average size but I do want to very strongly make the point that feed adjustment should not be a determining factor. Amount of feed should always be based on the dogs condition and not size. As already said, make every effort to keep the pup on the thinner side rather than heavier and looking pretty as way too many people seem to think heavier looks nicer in dogs and just the opposite in people. Interesting how we get these mindsets but we do. Keep the belly tucked a little , a rib or two barely visible, and well muscled. By the way, I mean the pup and not your SO.

Ezzy

Thanks, you are right about average size because all breeds are varied. I would prefer to have him slim and muscular. I will keep my eye on his ribs

When I read this threads opening post I thought your pup was probably a good bit overweight. Now I have seen the pup's photographs I no longer think so. He does not look particularly fat to me. He is probably just going to be a big lab. I have seen and trained a very fit and muscular adult lab male who weighed 95 lbs.

Trekmoor wrote:When I read this threads opening post I thought your pup was probably a good bit overweight. Now I have seen the pup's photographs I no longer think so. He does not look particularly fat to me. He is probably just going to be a big lab. I have seen and trained a very fit and muscular adult lab male who weighed 95 lbs.

Bill T.

Bill,

that is why I wanted to know if he's over weight or is he just a big pup. This is my first time owning a dog ever and this is new to me. I have always been around dogs that are not mines but friends and families, just never had one until now. I am still learning as I go. All I could really do is listen to the vet but....don't know if that the best info for a working/hunting dog. Thanks for your input!

birddogger2 wrote:I can't answer the question directly. Too much variation in size for the breed. I can tell you how to find out if the dog is near its proper weight...and I suspect, at 7 months of age and 75#, it may not be near its healthy weight. I suspect it may be overweight.

What I suggest is that you put the dog between your leg and look down at the rib area. Reach down and run your hand over the ribcage area. If you cannot feel ribs with a light touch, the dog is too fat and needs to have its food intake cut back.

On a young, active dog, you should be able to see the rise and fall of the ribs and if you look down from above, should be able to discern an hourglass shape where the ribs end and the flank begins. In all working breeds that I know of, there should be this "tuck in" at the end of the ribcage.

It is easy to see on a breed like a pointer and less so on the breeds with more hair, but even with the dense Lab coat, you should be able to "just" see the rise and fall of the rib bones and absolutely should be able to feel that rise and fall as you lightly run your fingers over the dog's side.

Too much weight on a young dog will often cause joint and other problems later on in the dog's life.

Hope this helps.

RayG

Thank you for your advice it helped a lot! By doing what you have explained, he is a bit on the heavy side, i can feel his rib cage but not a whole lot. I will surely watch his food intake. One thing that also concern me is that he keeps chewing and eating everything that he can get in his mouth. I have tried all types of way to stop him from eating everything but hasnt really worked, i hope that this is just a phase that will pass as he gets older

Up the activity level if you can...That won't cure the chewing/eating, but it will help it, and also with the weight. Swimming is a great way to get some bang for your buck in that department; someone told me a 4:1 Walk Time to Swimming time is a good way to think about it, and its easy on the joints.

Chewing/destructiveness is partially a puppy trait, partially a training thing, but can also be a reflection of a lack of exercise, or a reflection of anxiety. My dog started shredding a few toys after three days cooped up due to a hurricane. He also shredded them while I had a bitch in heat at the house and I was keeping them separated. And, some of it is a Lab thing...They are retrievers and even those that are many generations removed from an ancestor that had ever seen a duck blind seem to delight in picking things up in their mouths and carrying them and swimming.

Judging by the photos, if that pup is overweight it is not by much. Looks healthy and growing relative to his breed to my eye. Swimming as JONOV suggests is good advice as it builds a core skill set when combined with retrieving and marking, and provides high energy burning exercise that is easy on growing joints.

Thank you guys for the help! definitely appreciate it. I will take him out swimming more (I forgot that swimming and training him out at the water is a good way to train and to burn energy). I live in Wisconsin and the snow is coming soon and was wondering if any of you guys can give me any advice on what to do with my boy when were out in the cold? like since water is going to be frozen what are other options can I do to give him that exercise he needs.

Kovan wrote:Thank you guys for the help! definitely appreciate it. I will take him out swimming more (I forgot that swimming and training him out at the water is a good way to train and to burn energy). I live in Wisconsin and the snow is coming soon and was wondering if any of you guys can give me any advice on what to do with my boy when were out in the cold? like since water is going to be frozen what are other options can I do to give him that exercise he needs.

Looking at the photos you put up, I have to agree with the others that that your youngster looks pretty fit. If he is overweight, it is not by much, and that is great. Nice looking dog BTW.

For now, I would search out some areas where you can free run him or do retrieving drills, or both. Stay away from dog parks and such... you and your dog don't need the drama. You might look into NAHRA or an AKC retriever club in your area.

In the colder weather, you might want to have your dog pull something for exercise, but not just yet as his bones and joints are not yet fully formed. I would not put his joints under stress until at least 18 months and perhaps 2 years of age and I would have his joints evaluated at that time, before I started any stress type exercise.

Kovan wrote:Thank you guys for the help! definitely appreciate it. I will take him out swimming more (I forgot that swimming and training him out at the water is a good way to train and to burn energy). I live in Wisconsin and the snow is coming soon and was wondering if any of you guys can give me any advice on what to do with my boy when were out in the cold? like since water is going to be frozen what are other options can I do to give him that exercise he needs.

Looking at the photos you put up, I have to agree with the others that that your youngster looks pretty fit. If he is overweight, it is not by much, and that is great. Nice looking dog BTW.

For now, I would search out some areas where you can free run him or do retrieving drills, or both. Stay away from dog parks and such... you and your dog don't need the drama. You might look into NAHRA or an AKC retriever club in your area.

In the colder weather, you might want to have your dog pull something for exercise, but not just yet as his bones and joints are not yet fully formed. I would not put his joints under stress until at least 18 months and perhaps 2 years of age and I would have his joints evaluated at that time, before I started any stress type exercise.

Best of luck with your youngster. Have fun.

RayG

Thanks Ray, i will look into those areas that you have mention. Some guys that i hung out with also mention that to me but at that moment i wasnt sure yet because my pup was to young but now i have a bit more confident in him.

About the pulling exercise, just in general..is it a bad thing to play tug a war with hunting dogs? Or is it ok?

Kovan wrote:Thank you guys for the help! definitely appreciate it. I will take him out swimming more (I forgot that swimming and training him out at the water is a good way to train and to burn energy). I live in Wisconsin and the snow is coming soon and was wondering if any of you guys can give me any advice on what to do with my boy when were out in the cold? like since water is going to be frozen what are other options can I do to give him that exercise he needs.

Looking at the photos you put up, I have to agree with the others that that your youngster looks pretty fit. If he is overweight, it is not by much, and that is great. Nice looking dog BTW.

For now, I would search out some areas where you can free run him or do retrieving drills, or both. Stay away from dog parks and such... you and your dog don't need the drama. You might look into NAHRA or an AKC retriever club in your area.

In the colder weather, you might want to have your dog pull something for exercise, but not just yet as his bones and joints are not yet fully formed. I would not put his joints under stress until at least 18 months and perhaps 2 years of age and I would have his joints evaluated at that time, before I started any stress type exercise.

Best of luck with your youngster. Have fun.

RayG

Thanks Ray, i will look into those areas that you have mention. Some guys that i hung out with also mention that to me but at that moment i wasnt sure yet because my pup was to young but now i have a bit more confident in him.

About the pulling exercise, just in general..is it a bad thing to play tug a war with hunting dogs? Or is it ok?

Kovan -

I would not play tug of war with any dog that I wanted to get a quality retrieve from. By playing in this manner, you are setting the stage for both a refusal to give and, more importantly, in my opinion, a hard mouth. You might also be encouraging some additional possessive behaviors.

It is something you should seriously avoid, especially with a big powerful Lab, I think.

I am not a retriever person, and as a pointer person, I focus more on what occurs before the shot, so consider my advice in that light. There are several good retriever trainers that frequent this board who will hopefully chime in.

While I would not play tuggy with a pup for fear of causing a problem later on I do know some good gundog trainers who say it does no harm at all. Personally, I will continue to play safe by not playing tuggy because If there isn't a problem then I don't want to make one.

I would rather have more weight on a 7 month old pup than less . (That does not mean I would want it "Fat".) At 7 month old you can start to Burn off Puppy reserve and turn it Into Muscle . Swimming in Not cold! Water is best , and even better is running Uphill rather than down .
Size is dependant on genetics , saying that ..I had a Big Dog mated to a Big Bitch , and got two small dogs .
........
Tuggy , or Tug of War ..Is only a conflict if you make it one . (explaining that in text ,could take a book , that should probably read) .
Personally ........ Hold and Want and Desire and FF and Delivery and Tuggy and a whole load of other things are in the same category ,just different Jargon and terminology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwrcNqBqweg

I liked them lean . I have noticed a majority of people feel labs need to have a little weight on them . I'm often told oh you have a lean one of those dogs or do you feed him . It seems that me and my vet and my trainer agree that he is in excellent physical condition . I like to see 2-3 ribs . Some of these labs are a power house very high driven and powerful . These animals do not need extra weight on their joints and backs with the way they perform . Here's a couple pictures of my boy at 2.5 .